Insert Adsense Ads within WordPress Loops Easily

You must have come across several WordPress plugins for integrating Adsense into your WordPress-powered blogs be it in the sidebar, between posts, in between the content and other areas like footers and headers. Using a plugin is really simple, isn’t it? Install an Adsense plugin with a click of a button and then link your Adsense account to it, specify the dimensions of the banners, and there you go!

The ads are running on your blog.

But then one must also understand the additional load it adds to your server when you increase the plugin count on your WordPress blog. So in this article, we will look at ways using which you can manually place the Adsense banner [or any other AD serving agency] by implementing some really simple code snippets. We will provide you the code, don’t worry!

I am sure most of you follow the method of placing the advertising banner code manually in the WordPress files, be it in single.php, index.php, archive.php or the 404.php. Even beginners can do it manually without much effort. All it requires is applying some logic on where exactly to place the code. Placing the Adsense code below the post title / before the comments section is easy, placing below the navigation bar is easy, and placing it in the sidebar or even in the footer is also easy.

But it is a bit tricky when it comes to placing the Adsense code between 2 posts or in between the article body. That is exactly what we are going to focus today. In our first segment, we will look at the possible ways to place the Adsense code in between the posts be it in the homepage or in the archives page.

Insert Adsense Ads within WordPress Loops using PHP

Inserting AdSense ads within WordPress loops using PHP code can be an effective way to monetize your website. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this:

Create an AdSense ad unit

First, create an ad unit in your Google AdSense account. Once you've set up the ad unit, copy the ad code provided by Google.

Create a custom function to display the ad

In your WordPress theme, open the functions.php file, which is usually located in the theme folder (/wp-content/themes/your-theme/). Add the following custom function to display the ad:

function insert_adsense_ad($ad_code, $count) {
  static $ad_counter = 0;
  
  if ($ad_counter == $count) {
    echo '<div class="adsense-ad">';
    echo $ad_code;
    echo '</div>';
  }
  
  $ad_counter++;
}

This function accepts two parameters: $ad_code, which is the AdSense ad code, and $count, the position of the ad within the loop.

Wait. There is more.

Add the custom function within the loop

Open the file where the loop is located. This is typically the index.php, archive.php, or search.php file, depending on where you want to display the ad. Locate the loop, usually starting with if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post();.

Insert the insert_adsense_ad() function within the loop, specifying the position for the ad. For example, if you want to display the ad after the second post in the loop, use the following code:

if (have_posts()) : 
  while (have_posts()) : the_post();
    
    // Your loop content, e.g., the_title(), the_excerpt(), etc.
    
    insert_adsense_ad('<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- Your AdSense Code -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
     data-ad-slot="1234567890"
     data-ad-format="auto"
     data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>', 2);
    
  endwhile;
endif;

Replace the AdSense code with the one you obtained in step 1. The number 2 in the insert_adsense_ad() function call represents the position of the ad in the loop. Adjust this number as needed.

Style the ad container

If needed, add custom CSS to style the ad container. Open your theme's style.css file and add your desired styles for the .adsense-ad class.

That's it! Now the AdSense ad will be displayed within the specified position in the WordPress loop. You can further customize the insert_adsense_ad() function to display ads at different positions or use different ad codes for different placements.

Alternative

Google Auto Ads!

Yes, that's it. Google Auto Ads is a feature of Google AdSense that uses machine learning to automatically insert ads within your WordPress site, including within loops.

Auto Ads analyzes your website's layout and content to determine the best placements and ad formats to maximize user experience and revenue.

Here's how to set up Google Auto Ads for your WordPress website:

Create an AdSense account

If you haven't already, sign up for a Google AdSense account at https://www.google.com/adsense/start/.

Enable Auto Ads

Sign in to your AdSense account, then click "Ads" in the left sidebar. Click on "Auto ads" and enable it by toggling the switch. You can customize the ad formats you want to display on your site by clicking the pencil icon next to each ad format.

Copy the Auto Ads code

After enabling Auto Ads and selecting the desired ad formats, click on "Setup Auto ads" and then "Copy code". This is the Auto Ads code you'll need to insert into your WordPress site.

Insert the Auto Ads code in WordPress

There are two common methods to insert the Auto Ads code into your WordPress site:

Method 1: Using a plugin:

There are several WordPress plugins that can help you insert the Auto Ads code, such as "Insert Headers and Footers" or "Ad Inserter". Install and activate one of these plugins, then follow their instructions to insert the Auto Ads code into your site.

Method 2: Editing your theme files:

You can also insert the Auto Ads code directly into your theme's files. In your WordPress admin area, go to "Appearance" > "Theme Editor". Open the header.php file and paste the Auto Ads code right after the opening <head> tag. Click "Update File" to save your changes.

Wait for Auto Ads to start displaying

After inserting the Auto Ads code, it may take time for Google to analyze your site and display ads. Remember that ads can take up to 48 hours for ads to appear.

Once Auto Ads are enabled and the code is inserted, Google's machine learning algorithms will automatically insert ads within your WordPress loops and other site areas, optimizing placements for both user experience and revenue generation.